avast and privacy

[Prawny369]

I have been using Avast home for a long time now and have not been successfully infected.  In recent months I have started thinking about online anonymity and safe surfing.  I have begun to surf using a portable browser on a stick (with all the cache folder etc located on the disk too but have stuck with Avast.  Reluctant to change, what information is stored (web shield in particular) and could this info be erased after browsing or is there any chance of a portable version!

Many thanks

[DavidR]

Effectively there is nothing stored in the Web Shield it is just a scanner, you can have it create a log but that is disabled by default. Obviously if you got an alert by the web shield somehow the last infected:  field is populated for that session but on shutdown that isn't retained.

You also have to remember the avast self-defence module should help protect its files so if you were to try and delete any logs (used by the avast log viewer) if you are contemplating there deletion you would first have to disable the self-defence module.

All in all I don't believe there is anything retained in these logs to even contemplate there deletion/clearance, you can get carried away with security, clearing your browser cache, cookies, history, etc are all options which in firefox you can set to remove on closure.

[Lisandro]

Network Shield could log blocked pages. If you visit any and you're not logged as the administrator (or have avast settings password) it could be stored.
Also, infected pages visit are logged by avast by default, you need to change the log level to "Emergencies" only.

[RejZoR]

You're just being too paranoid. And even if you run your browser from USB, your ISP still knows all your browsing habits and addresses.
You can't change that.

[Prawny369]

Many thanks for the answers

You're just being too paranoid. And even if you run your browser from USB, your ISP still knows all your browsing habits and addresses.
You can't change that.

I know I am being paranoid RejZoR.  And that every mouse move, keystroke and even thought is logged, stored and accessible by government agencies,  private buisinesses with (not so large) cheque books and hackers.  But with more and more daily life 'transacted' (financial and otherwise) online I feel safer that I can take my internet surfing cache away from the pc when not in use and not have it sitting there on my hard drive like document drawer waiting to rifled through by anyone.

[Beefheart]

But with more and more daily life 'transacted' (financial and otherwise) online I feel safer that I can take my internet surfing cache away from the pc when not in use and not have it sitting there on my hard drive like document drawer waiting to rifled through by anyone.

Sounds like CCleaner may be just the thing you are looking for. It aims to clean browser cache, memory etc (plus a lot more) and is easily user configurable. Have a look at it here.